A Guide to Indoor Gardening

How to Repot a Plant

As a practice, get your plants out of the plastic pots they’re sold in. Even humble terra-cotta is transforming. Before repotting, water thoroughly to hold the roots together.

Step 1: With the stem between your fingers, carefully turn the pot upside down and gently coax the plant out of the pot. (If the plant is root-bound—lots of roots and barely any soil—ease out the roots and trim them by about half.)

Step 2: Place a stone or a shard of terra-cotta over the new pot’s drainage hole so the soil doesn’t wash out. Put an inch or so of potting mix in the pot. Center the plant inside.

Step 3: Fill in around the roots with potting mix. Use a chopstick or a pencil to tamp around the roots gently. Leave a quarter inch of space between the top of the soil and the rim of the pot. This will help hold water so it can slowly soak in and thoroughly moisten the soil.